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Michelle Ye Hee Lee

@myhlee.bsky.social
28K followers 464 following 803 posts

Covering Asia at The Washington Post. Mom to two needy cats & a rambunctious golden retriever. michelle.lee@washpost.com

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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 27/07/2026
The Post gained access to two of North Korea’s latest smartphones, which offer a remarkable window into daily life in one of the most reclusive countries. They show how digital life has become yet another layer of government control:
washingtonpost.com
See what it’s like to use a North Korean smartphone under Kim Jong Un
North Koreans are banking, getting makeup tutorials and using period trackers on their phones. But under Kim, these digital comforts are also tools of control.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
North Koreans are banking, getting makeup tutorials and using period trackers on their smartphones. But these digital comforts are also tools of control by the regime. See what it’s like to use a North Korean smartphone under Kim Jong Un: (gift link) wapo.st/44QYbfF
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 12/07/2026
Breaking news: Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, died Saturday night, his office said in a statement. wapo.st/4y8CdCe
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
"The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/b...
nytimes.com
Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media
The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
The Japanese get the least sleep of all major countries, so much so that there’s a thriving "sleep tech" market to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Our multimedia story on Japan’s billion-dollar quest to help a sleep-starved nation rest: (gift link) wapo.st/3QBBo3S
wapo.st
Inside Japan’s billion-dollar quest to help a sleep-starved nation rest
From puffer jackets designed for power naps to homes that auto-adjust lighting and temperature, better sleep in Japan is a booming market.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Watch here: www.youtube.com/live/dx2Osd5...
youtube.com
What Xi Got in Pyongyang | The Capital Cable #136
YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
CSIS Korea Chair @korea.csis.org · 15/06/2026
📺 TOMORROW: What Xi Got in Pyongyang Xi's recent trip to Pyongyang produced warm readouts, but skipped denuclearization. What does this signal? @csis.org Mark Lippert discusses with @victordcha.bsky.social, @wsj.com Jonathan Cheng, and @washingtonpost.com @myhlee.bsky.social. 🔗 shorturl.at/cCF9E
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Dylan, on life in your 80’s, is incredible. @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/o...
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will make a rare trip to North Korea next week to meet with Kim Jong Un, Xi’s first such trip in seven years and a major opportunity for Kim to show Washington that he has powerful friends, even if he is shunned by the West. Gift link: wapo.st/4a1wAeX
wapo.st
Xi to visit North Korea, showing China’s importance to a nuclear-armed neighbor
The summit comes as China positions itself as a global power player projecting stability in contrast to the U.S.'s economically damaging war against Iran and erratic tariff policies.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
China and North Korea have both announced Xi Jinping will visit Pyongyang on June 8-9. It would be Xi’s first trip there since 2019. And a big deal for Kim Jong Un as he flexes his diplomatic muscles to show he has powerful friends even without engaging the U.S.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
How young Chinese are learning the truth about Tiananmen Square, despite censorship. Important read from our reporter Huiyee Chiew in Taipei: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
washingtonpost.com
Despite censorship, young Chinese are learning the truth about Tiananmen Square
Authorities have been largely successful at erasing the massacre of protesters who fought for democratic reforms, but the facts are emerging in often unexpected ways.
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Bassano @bassano.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Vermeer’s Girl With The Pearl Earring will be shown in Osaka, later this year, and the press conference was as Japanese as you’d expect #Vermeer
A Japanese mascot dressed as Vermeer’s Girl With The Pearl Earring in front of a promotional poster for the same at a press conference in Japan
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
As China shows greater willingness to strong-arm its neighbors & President Trump injects waves of unpredictability into global affairs, Japan and South Korea are banding together as smaller nations redraw the geostrategic balance in Asia despite their complicated history. Gift link: wapo.st/3Ppzp2l
wapo.st
U.S. allies in Asia are trying to shield themselves from Trump’s unpredictability
President Donald Trump’s seeming ambivalence about the value of allies has created a sense of urgency among nations with close U.S. ties.
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 21/05/2026
Sports events have often been used as a vehicle for diplomatic exchanges between the Koreas, which have been separated since a 1953 armistice halted the Korean War and divided the peninsula. In a recent match-up, players from North Korea remained stone-faced — until they won.
washingtonpost.com
In rare clash, North Korea defeats South Korea … on the soccer field
In an inter-peninsula match-up between women's teams that showed the limits of sports diplomacy, players from North Korea remained stone-faced — until they won.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
A North Korean women's club soccer team visited the South for the 1st time this week, raising hopes for a powerful moment of inter-Korean sports diplomacy. But with inter-Korean relations at a low point, the North's message was clear: They're not interested. Gift link: wapo.st/4wGH2lF
wapo.st
In rare clash, North Korea defeats South Korea … on the soccer field
In an inter-peninsula match-up between women's teams that showed the limits of sports diplomacy, players from North Korea remained stone-faced — until they won.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Thanks to Chosun ALC, RAND and @korea.csis.org for having me as a moderator again this year for two meaty discussions with some of the best thinkers on Korean issues - on alliance modernization and the challenges facing diplomacy with North Korea.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
There were no big breakthroughs but also no blunders, and the summit positioned China's Xi Jinping as a leader at the height of his power seeking global stability. Gift link to our story on a victorious summit for Xi, who projected stability and conceded nothing: wapo.st/42Hv8dv
wapo.st
Xi, in summit victory, projected stability and conceded nothing to Trump
There were no big breakthroughs but also no blunders, and the summit positioned Xi Jinping as a leader at the height of his power seeking global stability.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Team Asia reunion in Taipei for the Trump-Xi summit, and other scenes 🇹🇼
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
In pageantry and politics, China summit yields Xi Jinping’s goal — equal footing with U.S. Gift link to our story from the final day of Trump-Xi summit wapo.st/4dp3R4h
wapo.st
In pageantry and politics, China summit yields Xi’s goal — equal footing with U.S.
The image of peer superpowers during President Trump’s visit displayed a dynamic that analysts say the Chinese have long sought and Americans had resisted.
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 14/05/2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a fierce China critic, was banned in 2020 from entering the country. Chinese officials, however, are using a different transliteration of Rubio’s name, perhaps to allow him to visit without lifting the ban.
washingtonpost.com
Officially, Marco Rubio is still banned from China. So how is he in Beijing?
Chinese officials are using a different transliterated character for the secretary of state's name, perhaps to allow him to visit without lifting a 2020 ban.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that “conflicts” could emerge if the two powers mishandle Taiwan, declaring that Beijing’s top priority in talks with the United States is the fate of the contested island long supported militarily by Washington. wapo.st/3P2fCpv
wapo.st
Xi warns Trump that mishandling Taiwan could spark ‘conflicts’
China’s leader made clear his top priority is the fate of the contested island and its U.S. military support, a striking move given President Donald Trump’s effort to mend ties and deliver trade deals...
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
A name change in Chinese characters may have allowed Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- a fierce China critic who was banned in 2020 from entering the country -- to visit China as part of President Donald Trump’s entourage. wapo.st/4fl3FFO
wapo.st
Officially, Marco Rubio is still banned from China. So how is he in Beijing?
Chinese officials are using a different transliterated character for the secretary of state's name, perhaps to allow him to visit without lifting a 2020 ban.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
“It’s a simple proposition: Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape.” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 11/05/2026
President Trump will return to China this week for the first time since 2017. Beijing is a far more powerful, confident seat of global power than a decade ago — with a seasoned leader, Xi Jinping, who now understands Trump weaponizes unpredictability.
washingtonpost.com
Confident in China’s power, Xi is ready to host an unpredictable Trump
Holding no illusions about making lasting deals at this week’s summit, China’s leader looks to project Beijing as an alternative to U.S. volatility on the world stage.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Trump will return to a Beijing that is a far more powerful, confident seat of global power than a decade ago — with a seasoned leader, Xi Jinping, who now understands Trump weaponizes unpredictability and holds no illusions about making lasting deals with the U.S. leader. Gift link: wapo.st/4nmmdYs
wapo.st
Confident in China’s power, Xi is ready to host an unpredictable Trump
Holding no illusions about making lasting deals at this week’s summit, China’s leader looks to project Beijing as an alternative to U.S. volatility on the world stage.
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 04/05/2026
Jahi Chikwendiu, a former staff photographer, won for feature photography for two stories following a young family's struggle with terminal cancer. The Post was also a finalist in the national reporting category for its coverage of immigration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
wapo.st
Washington Post wins public service Pulitzer for DOGE, federal workforce coverage
It’s the second time The Post has won the prestigious award in five years. Former staff photographer Jahi Chikwendiu also won for feature photography.
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 04/05/2026
The Washington Post won a Pulitzer Prize for public service for coverage of DOGE and the federal workforce. It’s the second time The Post has won the prestigious award in five years. Read more about our winning coverage here: wapo.st/3OX3l5A
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Kim Lyons @kimly.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
A detail I didn’t know: “The Herald entered the Epstein series for a Pulitzer Prize that year, but it was not a finalist. Alan Dershowitz … who helped broker Epstein’s original deal, wrote a letter to the Pulitzer committee that year, urging them not to honor Brown’s work.” share.inquirer.com/THMiUZ
share.inquirer.com
Julie K. Brown receives Pulitzer Prize special citation for her work on Jeffrey Epstein case
Brown's 2017 and 2018 reporting was cited at the awards ceremony. “Her work, and the government’s release of the Epstein files, continue to reverberate around the world.”
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Stereotypically Jeju weekend: cloudy weather, horses, delicious fish, aged black pork. Also ate lots of tangerines of course.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday announced her country will begin selling lethal weapons abroad, a major shift from a post-World War II pacifist commitment during a time of heightened security concerns in the region. wapo.st/48YduWc
wapo.st
Japan lifts post-World War II ban on lethal weapons exports
The change, which allows Japanese companies to sell arms to 17 countries, is a major shift from the nation’s pacifist stance and comes at a time of heightened security concerns in the region.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Watching the Iran war warily, Beijing has tried to position itself as a peacemaker of sorts — but also to maintain distance from the war in a region where it has minimal military influence. Our latest, on China’s delicate diplomacy: wapo.st/3OILpvj
wapo.st
Why China is taking a behind-the-scenes role in the Iran war
As Trump pursued an unpopular war, Beijing positioned itself as a peacemaker, with little incentive to pressure Iran or annoy the U.S.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Japan bolstering its defense is especially important now that Japan’s only security ally — the United States — has been engulfed in war in the Middle East, leaving Asian middle powers like Japan to confront hard questions, Japanese officials and analysts say. wapo.st/4tj0q66
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
As a security hawk, Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has initiated a plan to consider changes to the pacifist clause in the country’s constitution, which has constrained its military and defined its national identity since World War II. Gift link to our latest from Tokyo: wapo.st/4tj0q66
wapo.st
Japan is a pacifist nation, and now a hint of change is drawing rare protests
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made revising the constitution a priority amid rising security threats in Asia, but any change is highly sensitive.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
The front page photo on today’s Joongang Ilbo, one of the main conservative newspapers in South Korea:
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Michelle Park Steel, a former two-term Republican lawmaker from California, has been named the U.S. ambassador to Seoul. The ambassador post in Seoul has been left vacant since former Ambassador Philip Goldberg left Seoul in January last year. m-en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2026...
m-en.yna.co.kr
Trump nominates former Rep. Michelle Park Steel as ambassador to S. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
By Song Sang-ho WASHINGTON, April 13 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has nominate...
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 11/04/2026
Hello, I made you a feed of your cats watching the Artemis II splashdown bsky.app/profile/did:...
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Thread on the South Korean president’s evolving stance on Israel, as he faces increasing economic pressure from the war in Iran:
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Artemis splashdown was so incredible and made me emotional. Welcome home, team!!
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
After Trump pivoted on Iran and announced a two-week ceasefire, the acronym “TACO” made its way to headlines around the world — along with some creative translations to help explain the concept of “chickening out.” Decoding TACO,from Japan to China to France, Italy, and beyond: wapo.st/4stfr47
wapo.st
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 07/04/2026
Across Asia, far from President Trump’s war in Iran, companies and consumers are facing or preparing for shortages of everyday goods as the economic consequences ripple across the map. As the war grinds on, supply problems are expected to get worse.
washingtonpost.com
Iran war hits supply chains for K-beauty, ramen and clothes
Even potato chips aren’t safe from the ripple effects of President Donald Trump’s war, which is disrupting supply chains across Asia.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
As the oil and gas crisis set off by the war in Iran drives governments to accelerate their transitions to renewable energy, China stands to benefit most from the war-driven energy crisis. Gift link: wapo.st/4tuJEjU
washingtonpost.com
China stands to benefit most from the war-driven energy crisis
Sales of Chinese electric vehicles and solar panels have surged since the start of the Iran war, companies say.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Japanese potato chips. Instant ramen. K-beauty cosmetics. School uniforms. Garbage bags. Across Asia, far from President Trump’s war in Iran that has driven up fuel prices for Americans, companies and consumers are facing or preparing for shortages of everyday goods. Gift link: wapo.st/3O1tIa3
wapo.st
Iran war hits supply chains for K-beauty, ramen and clothes
Even potato chips aren’t safe from the ripple effects of President Donald Trump’s war, which is disrupting supply chains across Asia.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Tokyo cherry blossoms 🌸 the rain washed away a lot of the leaves just after peak bloom, but they were beautiful while they lasted.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Allies and partners of the U.S. in Asia are steeling themselves for what they see as the nightmare scenario of a long American war in the Middle East that would distract from their own security concerns about China. By @rebtanhs.bsky.social & Huiyee Chiew in Taipei, gift link: wapo.st/3NwcKjV
wapo.st
Dread deepens among U.S. allies in Asia over a protracted Mideast war
Japan, Taiwan and other Asian countries that rely on the U.S. for security worry that the Iran war is drawing American military assets and focus away from containing China.
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 22/03/2026
Iran is escalating attacks on its neighbors, betting it can ratchet up global economic pain faster than the Trump administration can relieve it with military force, according to an Iranian diplomat, two European diplomats and a senior Arab official.
washingtonpost.com
Why Iran does not appear ready to give in, despite heavy losses
Tehran’s unwillingness to capitulate as the war enters its fourth week is wrapped up in the power it exerts over the Strait of Hormuz, officials in the region say.
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Reposted by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
ian bremmer @ianbremmer.com · 21/03/2026
finally, japan answers america’s call to help open the strait of hormuz
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
BTS is back, and the K-pop boy band’s fans have taken over Seoul. Tens of thousands attended a free comeback concert by the K-pop sensation. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops celebrated their return with specialty items. Seoul’s landmarks were lit, red like their album. Gift link: wapo.st/4lFrd9C
wapo.st
BTS thrills K-pop fans with free comeback show for thousands in Seoul
The South Korean megastars thrilled tens of thousands of fans with their first concert in nearly four years following a break for military service and solo careers.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
President Donald Trump joked about Pearl Harbor in a meeting Thursday with the Japanese prime minister, invoking the surprise attack on the U.S. on Dec. 7, 1941, to explain his decision not to notify American allies ahead of strikes on Iran. Gift link: wapo.st/41mav5H
wapo.st
With Japanese prime minister at his side, Trump makes Pearl Harbor joke
President Donald Trump joked about Pearl Harbor in a meeting Thursday with the Japanese prime minister.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
The U.S.-Japan summit today was supposed to be a feel-good event with cherry trees and investments. Tokyo was happy to get face time with Trump before he meets with Xi. But with the war in Iran, the mood has completely shifted, and now it’s become a tricky endeavor for Takaichi. wapo.st/4cUO92l
wapo.st
Japan’s leader heads to D.C. bearing gifts of peace for a president at war
Japan’s super-popular prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, will visit the White House on Thursday, as President Donald Trump looks to allies for military help against Iran.
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Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
As the U.S. wages war with no clear endgame, large swaths of the globe -- Europe and Asia in particular -- are suffering worse than Americans from the economic fallout, weathering gasoline shortages, falling currencies and more severe energy shocks. Gift link to our story: wapo.st/3PdTdFn
wapo.st
Economic fallout from U.S.-led war is hitting the rest of the world harder
Because of greater exposure to disruptions in the Middle East, such as high natural gas prices, businesses and consumers outside the U.S. are being hit harder by the war in Iran.
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